1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates particularly to reclining mechanisms for chairs and seating for both indoor and outdoor use.
2. Background Information
Prior to the present invention, reclinable types of chairs were usually equipped with a movable joint located at the union of the seat with the back, thus permitting the back to be inclined rearwardly. They usually consisted of an interlocking system composed of notches that permit the back to be placed in a certain set number of positions, generally from four to eight. However, this kind of mechanism is generally complicated, costly and susceptible to wear, corrosion fatigue and failure causing injury to the user. These chairs also normally had to have a thick, awkward cushion on them to be comfortable. Prior reclinable armchairs, having a number of positions for inclination, were usually of heavy steel and equipped with a series of spring and counterweights which made them heavy, complicated and costly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,364 discloses a more complicated padded upholstered arm chair with an internal reclining apparatus having a metal base frame pivotably mounted to a seat frame, at or near the front of the seat frame. The very old wooden designs, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,726, were typically just straight legged wooden chairs that tilted back only about 20-25.degree.. Because of their high center of gravity and straight line design, they were very unstable and unsafe in the tilt back position.